


Favourite Story

by Enigma (Jetfeather)



Category: Dappervolk (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, I was looking for old writing pieces for reasons and found this in my drive, Otherworld Tear AU, Spoilers, anyways uhhh, like damn this is like ancient lmao, spoilers for quest: Riddling with Barclay II (3's forest), spoilers for quest: Upheaval with Barclay (3's forest)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2020-03-26 07:02:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19000756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jetfeather/pseuds/Enigma
Summary: “But while you're here... I have a question for you!”or, the literal alternate universe the world-hopper and Barclay fall into when they try the spell Otherworld Tear.





	Favourite Story

**Author's Note:**

> what the tags say, basically. i was looking for writing examples, found this rotting away in my google drive and thought heck it i should keep a backup somewhere else. like, say, here, where i was originally going to post it at some point of time. the changed publication date is when i'd originally written this, if anyone's confused by that.
> 
> anyways, have fun, i guess!

“What’s your favourite story?”

Every time he asked, they had no answer to give him. World-hoppers have no memory of their past life, after all; their faces would scrunch up in the ugliest way, and all in vain as they came up with nothing. It was disappointing, yes, but as a _hero_ he would gladly step in and save them from embarrassment every time. It was never a pain to talk about his favourite tale - it was fun, really! He would never tire of practicing his art, altering bits of the story depending on the world-hopper’s demeanour as he’d talk. (And if they still didn't like it... no! He wouldn't accept that kind of result, there must've been something wrong about the way he'd told it.)

So hey, no one could blame him for expecting no different of the latest animator who had come along. The first time they met, the world-hopper looked much the same as all the others who had come his way before - helms and hoods and sometimes even a fish entourage, in the tackiest outfits he could never have imagined. This time, they had even thought old overalls would match their marine aesthetic! It hurt his eyes to look at, but seeing them stand there proudly despite their fashion sense, he couldn't doubt their resolve to stay true to themselves. Tenacious, that's what they were. Acceptable.

...And ridiculously persistent. It wasn't a bad thing, though; at the very least, it meant another opportunity to tell Sir Astor’s story! That was the good thing about routine: You always knew what to expect. Nothing changed very much - not his lovely meadow, not the witches’ stalemate, not even the responses of the world-hoppers who would turn up and pledge allegiance to any witch they liked. It was easy to anticipate--

“One that ends happily!”

“O-oh?”

What the hell? What the _hell_?

“I don't know what it'd be called, but it's about a rogue and a lancer who like each other a lot, but almost never realise that the other likes them back.”

Their reply, this time, was completely unprecedented. Barclay didn't like it a bit; he'd been looking forwards to enlightening another soul to the virtues of Sir Astor today, but…

...Well, he _had_ asked, and Barclay was nothing if not tenacious! It went against everything he stood for as a hero to just shoot down the world-hopper’s story after he'd so expectantly asked.

“That sounds interesting, tell me more!” he assented, then mentally settled himself for a good story. (Because if it had managed to stay in a world-hopper’s memory against all odds, it was definitely going to be worth it. It had to be.)

The world-hopper’s face brightened, and they grinned as they began:

“So, I met them while they were just finishing a training session…”

It was different, but not unpleasant to watch the world-hopper tell their tale. A rarely-seen expression of contentment rested on their face, and Barclay could tell there was a certain glint in their eye that proved that they were as invested in this story as he was in Sir Astor’s.

“...and that's when Fantasia found a trampled letter left on the ground - an invitation to one of the most prestigious colleges in the country: Eisen’s! I don't know the rest of the name. And it was addressed to… none other than her dearest, Lilia…”

Barclay realised early on that this must have been something that happened while the animator was in the town just outside the forest - hadn't there been a lancer of the same name at the hill last time he’d visited? It was nice to hear she'd found someone who liked her, really. She'd seemed so lonely, even when he had been discussing with her her favourite topic (fashion and aesthetics) and his favourite subject (heroism and working for the greater good).

“...It was tough, I'm telling you, to get one of Lilia’s training lances behind her back. I spent, like, four thousand potatoes! _Four thousand potatoes_ for some training lances that couldn't even fit the package!! But it was all good, because Fantasia…”

So to hear of her good fortune in making a friend who liked her back… who had agreed (‘ _without needing to ask!_ ’ Eeeee!) to stick to her side for as long as they could? It was like music to his ears, and if Barclay’s favourite story wasn't already undoubtedly that of Sir Astor’s, this one would surely have given it a run for its money.

“...So I had to help Fantasia and Lilia sort out their mix-up because evidently I'm the nicest world-hopper you'll ever meet, believe you me…”

It was, as they surely neared the end, beyond good enough. Theirs was a tale fraught with the perils of miscommunication and the tricky navigating of the world-hopper tradesmarket. Even though it held no dragons or curses or k-ki-k-kiii-- or any cursebreaking, the world-hopper’s story still managed to be very touching. Perhaps they might even be worthy of his tutelage, as his protege? Hm, that wasn’t such a bad idea...

“...And then Fantasia gave me back my honor totem _and_ one of their daggers! I would have given it to one of my pets, but honestly I don't think I can trust them with a weapon, so…”

Speaking of pets, the agrimony vase that he could see nestled in the animator’s bag seemed different to the last time the witch had seen it. Was it his companion’s magic that was fuelling its change? Maybe this person truly was full-fledged in their power?

“...and that's how I got to Three’s Forest! So? How was it?”

...What an admirable ability.

“Hm! I liked it a lot!”

“Thank you!”

“But you know, now that you've told your favourite story, I should tell you mine in return - it's all part of my honour as a hero!”

 

\--

 

Later, they would tell it like this:

There were three witches who loved beautiful things. But the beauty they wrought from their fingertips was loaded, swathes of wondrous but merciless growths choking the forest with thick, heavy-handed gold-purple-blue. For a long time... their influences had been kept at bay by their neighbours. Blooms fighting vines fighting mushrooms, finding their match in the others as they fruitlessly divided their efforts on each other. And amidst their stalemate, the worldhoppers would pass through, ephemeral, never staying long once they'd had their fill of the forest.

There were two witches who would always pointedly look away, once any worldhopper decided their allegiance. No matter what - it was only pragmatism. No one wanted a turncoat on their side, especially what with how... fickle the animators seemed, sometimes. 

There was, over the course of time, one witch who became oddly invigorated in his studies to the point of obsession. The forest residents would not have noticed, ordinarily - only the visitors tended to be foolhardy enough to approach the magic-users in the first place - but by the time the golden flower meadow had somehow expanded far enough to become  _noticeable..._

It had been no secret that there had been no love lost between Barclay and the other residents of the forest, just as it had been no secret that ever since a certain worldhopper had first passed by, he had seemed intent on impressing himself onto his chosen protege enough to secure them to his side in the ongoing struggle. In retrospect, much of what led up to the inevitable fallout had just been there in plain sight, but never properly addressed. 

It might even have gone for ages, unnoticed, unchecked, if that particular animator hadn't brought up their indecision when they'd been prompted about who they would side with, finally.

And Barclay... 

Well, Barclay couldn't just let that lie, now, could he? 

(There would only be one logical next step. After all, it was easier to choose from one option than from three, right?)

**Author's Note:**

> special thanks to ky for prompting me to not just stop this in the middle of what's here lol  
> if anyone knows my track record, it's super unlikely i'll ever write a continuation of this fic except by some stroke of sheer luck, so it's probably lucky that I ended up ending this fic on a vaguely reasonable note while reading/editing over what was already there. 
> 
> thanks for reading!


End file.
